Macalister Demonstration Farm

Dairy Research Farm demonstrating best management practice

 

Macalister Demonstration Farm

Newsletter Archive 2008-2017

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Newsletter Archive for newsletters prior to  2018.  View newsletters from 2018 onward at this link.

Newsletters 2017

  • NEWSLETTER 106 October 2017
    (Jennifer McMillan wins the RF(Bob) Pitman Award; Early season – How is production stacking up?; Is yeast the answer? (Split herd feeding trial); Chasing silage at the MDF – How it pays in our system; Buying fodder – Take the risk out of your purchase; Rearing heifers – Contract or do it yourself?; Welcome to our new Director; Become a Friend of the MDF)
  • NEWSLETTER 105 July 2017
    (A good set of numbers – 2016/17 MDF performance; 2017-18 Budget – So what’s different?; Turning the ship around: Making incremental gains in fertility at the MDF; A letter to the Board of Murray Goulburn; RF(Bob) Pitman nominations for 2017; Become a Friend of the MDF)
  • NEWSLETTER 104 March 2017
    (Meet the MDF Directors; RF(Bob) Pitman Award for 2016; MDF – Farm performance ahead of target at half year; We know the value of the nutrients in our effluent – do you?; Become a Friend of the MDF)

Newsletters 2015

  • Newsletter 95 February 15
    (First Macalister Focus Farm Field Day / Yellow Rag Bit / Keeping a watchful eye on summer pasture quality early / What’s been going on at MDF? / Upcoming events)
  • Newsletter 96 March 15
    (The road to recruitment / Yellow Rag Bit / Considering pasture renovation this autumn? / What’s been going on at MDF? / Survey – What do you want from your MDF? / Quick bits / Upcoming events)
  • Newsletter 97 April 2015
    (The road to recruitment – continued / Yellow Rag Bit / Keeping on top of liver fluke / What’s been going on at MDF? / Hassle free calving session at the MDF)
  • Newsletter 98 May 2015
    (Vale Mike Larcombe / The road to recruitment – continued / What’s been going on at MDF? / Hassle free calving session at the MDF – Reminder / Biosecurity exercise at the MDF / Silage Wrap Recycling in Sale)
  • Newsletter 99 June 2015
    (The road to recruitment – a Farm Manager and a Farm Hand have been engaged / Yellow Rag Bit / Things to think about as this financial year ends and the new one begins / What’s been going on at MDF?)
  • Newsletter 100 August 2015
    (A rewarding experience: Living and working at Macalister Demonstration Farm / Yellow Rag Bit / Next MID Irrigation efficiency Incentive Program set for September / What’s been going on at MDF?)
  • Newsletter 101 September 2015
    (Notice of Meeting – Macalister Demonstration Farm Annual General Meeting / Call for nominations – RF (Bob) Pittman Award / Yellow Rag Bit – What to do when you run out of lead feed / What’s been going on at MDF? / Focus farm support group)
  • Newsletter 102 October 2015
    (Macalister Demonstration Farm – Future Directions / Dale Scott announced winner of the RF (Bob) Pitman Award / Yellow Rag Bit / Have you seen these pests in your pastures? / What’s been going on at MDF?)
  • Newsletter 103 December 2015
    (Changing faces at the Macalister Demonstration Farm / Yellow Rag Bit / Irrigating during a dry season at the MDF / What’s been going on at MDF? / The costs of preserving silage at the MDF / And last but not least)

Newsletters 2014

  • Newsletter 85 January 14
    (Australian Dairy Industry Unilever Sustainability Pilot / DEPI – Improving Farm Profitability / MDF Travel and Learning Scholar – Jon Ryan / Upcoming events & courses)
  • Newsletter 86 February 14
    (Spilt Milk – what the MDF did when the vat failed / DEPI – Keeping your cows at their coolest in the MID / Have you done your water budget? / Annual Use Limits in this current season / Upcoming events & courses)
  • Newsletter 87 March 14
    (A big thank you / BVDV at the Demonstration Farm / DEPI – Understanding investments being made by DA / The value in comparing electricity providers / Upcoming events & courses)
  • Newsletter 88 May 14
    (The value of comparing electricity costs – follow up / DEPI – Managing dairy cattle drench resistance / invitation to attend Irrigation Expo and Rubicon Factory in Shepparton / Upcoming events & courses)
  • Newsletter 89 June 14
    (Macalister Demonstration Farm Working Bee / Pour on drenches are absorbed via licking … What? / The Junk Paddock’s transformation / Upcoming events)
  • Newsletter 90 July 2014
    (WTC Irrigation Expo Tour / Yellow Rag / Lameness in Dairy herds / What’s been going on at the MDF?)
  • Newsletter 91 August 2014
    (Macalister Demonstration Farm – GippsDairy Focus Farm / Yellow Rag / High reliability water allocation and the link to Thomson Dam drought reserve / What’s been going on at the MDF? / A big thank you!!)
  • Newsletter 92 September 14
    (Macalister Demonstration Farm – Annual General Meeting / Macalister Demonstration Farm – Nomination of Directors / Call for Nominations – RF (Bob) Pitman Award / Yellow Rag Bit/  MID Irrigation Efficiency Incentives Program / What’s been going on at MDF?)
  • Newsletter 93 October 14
    (Macalister Demonstration Farm – Annual General Meeting / Yellow Rag Bit / Tightening up your dairy herd’s calving pattern / What’s been going on at MDF? / MDF Scholarship – Jon Ryan final report summary – The application of new technology to manage pastures in the Macalister Irrigation District (MID))
  • Newsletter 94 November 14
    (Macalister Demonstration Farm  – Travel and Learning Scholarship / Yellow Rag Bit / How’s your feed and water security for this coming summer? / What’s been going on at MDF?)

Newsletters 2013

  • Newsletter 76 February 13
    (DPI-Coping in the current dry season / Energy Assessments)
  • Newsletter 77 March 13
    (DPI-Reading your own wheel / The first month for our new farm managers)
  • Newsletter 78 April 13
    (DPI-Are your heifers on target? / MDF Scholarship / Health Field Day / ProHand Dairy Cow Course)
  • Newsletter 79 May 13
    (Welcome to Matt Harms: Thank you to Frank Tyndall / Dry cow options leading into winter / DEPI – starting the next milk season in good shape / MDF Health and Safety Field Day / MDF Performance Graphs)
  • Newsletter 80 July 13
    (DEPI – recovering from a tough season / Macalister Demonstration Farm Report / Rural Finance Natural Disaster Recovery Assistance)
  • Newsletter 81 August 13
    (MDF Notice of AGM / Macalister Demonstration Farm Report / DEPI – Managing cows in poor condition and downer cows)
  • Newsletter 82 September 13
    (MDF Notice of AGM / Crucial issues being dealt with by MDF this spring / DEPI – Key messages for MID from Dairy Farm Monitor Project 2012-2013)
  • Newsletter 83 November 13
    (MDF Open Day/Annual Field day / How hard do you chase for additional silage? / Economics of fodder conservation)
  • MDF Newsletter 84 December 13
    (Springing into Summer! / Update on Theileria in Gippsland)

Newsletters 2012

Newsletters 2011

Newsletters 2010

Newsletters 2009

Newsletters 2008

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About the MDF

The Macalister Research Farm, known as the Macalister Demonstration Farm since 2008, is a farmer-owned co-operative that was established on April 13th 1960. The brief was to acquire a commercial dairy farm on which systems of farming that had the … Read More

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